Government Funding for Viking Triangle Announced

nkay1985

An investment fund of €2.6 million for two key tourism projects in counties Waterford and Offaly has been announced.

€1.9m will be spent improving signage, paving and seating areas in Waterford's Viking Triangle

The Viking Triangle in Co Waterford is set to receive €1.9m in funding and €730,000 is being provided for Lough Boora Parklands in Co Offaly.

Minister for Tourism Leo Varadkar said the funding in Co Waterford, under Fáilte Ireland's Tourism Capital Investment Programme, will be used to improve signage, paving and seating areas.

The investment of €730,000 at Lough Boora will involve an upgrade of the Lough Boora Parklands infrastructure.
A new visitor service centre will be provided along with parking areas, and access facilities will be improved.

Source: http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0903/investment-for-offaly-waterford-tourism.html


Great to see this announcement. Now that the heavy work has been done, it's time for the softer stuff. More and better signage and some seating areas will be a great addition to a wonderful project.

thomasm

Great news but that's a lot of singage and seating, wonder will there be signs to the seats

CardBordWindow

That seems like a lot of money. Especially when you see the quality of the area at the moment. I they don't ruin it by putting in things just for the sake of using up the money.

Funfair

nkay1985 wrote: »

Source: http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0903/investment-for-offaly-waterford-tourism.html


Great to see this announcement. Now that the heavy work has been done, it's time for the softer stuff. More and better signage and some seating areas will be a great addition to a wonderful project.

Must be some seats & signs if there spending 1.9 million on em

A few seats roughly €100,000 (Leather no doubt)

A few signs roughly €1,000 at most

A couple of paths roughly €100,000- €200.000 (Gold plated paths)

Brown envelopes and back handers roughly 1.5m

BlaasForRafa

Funfair wrote: »

Must be some seats & signs if there spending 1.9 million on em

A few seats roughly €100,000 (Leather no doubt)

A few signs roughly €1,000 at most

A couple of paths roughly €100,000- €200.000 (Gold plated paths)

Brown envelopes and back handers roughly 1.5m

While its nice to see money invested into Waterford, it would be nice to see the costings for this and how exactly the money is being allocated. It would be nice for example to see some of the dowdier buildings get a lick of new paint or general work done to improve their exterior.

The metal signs that abound in that area are already quite nice, are they going to be replaced or is new signage to be in addition to whats already there?

nkay1985

I agree, it seems like a massive amount. The €700k in Offaly is building a visitor centre! I wonder if part of this was promised and has been outlaid by the council or something so they're being repaid? Hopefully there will be some more detail available but, for now, it's nice to not feel forgotten!

Trotter

Theres a serious need for some rethinking around the area of the JR Square down as far as the Apple Market. We could really do with some renovation and some creative thinking around there to attract in some businesses and customers.

nkay1985

Trotter wrote: »

Theres a serious need for some rethinking around the area of the JR Square down as far as the Apple Market. We could really do with some renovation and some creative thinking around there to attract in some businesses and customers.

Fully agree. I was in there about 6pm yesterday and there wasn't a sinner around. I passed an American and began to wonder what impression would you have of the city at all if the main centre is dead quiet.

Psychedelic

Maybe the City Council should tell Leo Varadkar that they only need a few grand and give the rest back.

It looks to me like they plan to re-pave all the streets within the Triangle. Have a read:
http://www.waterfordcity.ie/documents/notices/Viking%20Triangle.pdf
http://www.dttas.ie/pressRelease.aspx?Id=629

Trotter

When I saw the new museum the other day, I just thought to myself.. I hope the same people are in charge of rejuvenating the city centre because they've done themselved proud here.

I hope they focus at some point on the area between Broad Street and the Cathedral. If that was re-energised as an area (Low rates, high incentives..), it would lift the whole city.

Things are turning for the good lads n ladies.. I can feel it in me waters!!

nkay1985

Psychedelic wrote: »

Maybe the City Council should tell Leo Varadkar that they only need a few grand and give the rest back.

It looks to me like they plan to re-pave all the streets within the Triangle. Have a read:
http://www.waterfordcity.ie/documents/notices/Viking%20Triangle.pdf
http://www.dttas.ie/pressRelease.aspx?Id=629

That PDF is some document. Interesting to see how much it's progressed along the lines recommended since that report was written.

I tell ya, if I won the Euromillions, I'd love to throw whatever it took at Vinny O'Toole to get him out of The Maryland and turn it into the boutique hotel they mention in the document. I'd say something like that would do very well if done right.

Sully

Christ, this forum was amuck with folk complaining about being ignored by governments and all through the election campaign we were told that the upcoming government TDs would be useless and that we would be continue to be ignored by the government.

Yet, Waterford has now secured a large portion of funding by the government to further improve our city as a tourism resort and all people can do is complain about being given to much?!

I'm sure the City Council wont throw the money at anything unrelated to what the money was given for. They applied for funding, outlining in detail what was needed and the costs. They were given the funding. We should welcome this announcement with big open arms as its great news for Waterford now and into the future.

I'm sure our government TDs (at least) were working hard behind the scenes to give Leo a nudge towards allocating funding and this should be a step towards showing that a FG Minister who isn't elected in Waterford and has no political gains for making this move has done so anyway for the benefit of our great city. Plus, Big Phil as people call him hasn't stepped into block the payment ensuring it didn't go to Kilkenny/Carlow despite popular belief.

Silverado

Maybe they might finish the Tourist Office on Greyfriars/Quay now. It was badly needed all summer.

Max Powers

Silverado wrote: »

Maybe they might finish the Tourist Office on Greyfriars/Quay now. It was badly needed all summer.

Spoke to one of lads down there, apparently they have been waiting on plans from BOrd Failte for about 6 months now. Does any govt dept work efficiently?

thomasm

Sully wrote: »

Christ, this forum was amuck with folk complaining about being ignored by governments and all through the election campaign we were told that the upcoming government TDs would be useless and that we would be continue to be ignored by the government.

Yet, Waterford has now secured a large portion of funding by the government to further improve our city as a tourism resort and all people can do is complain about being given to much?!

Most people have welcomed the news, the comments are about the amount which seems huge for a project most thought was complete. Nobody is saying its too much or not welcome just that its a lot(in this age of austerity)

PTH2009

going into second year Tourism in WIT this year hopefully a job will await me in one of these areas in the near future.

Not holding my breath though.

beazee

Max Powers wrote: »

Spoke to one of lads down there, apparently they have been waiting on plans from BOrd Failte for about 6 months now. Does any govt dept work efficiently?

They were late putting papers for Bord Failte funding from what I heard. Jan 2013 is the date, was told.

CardBordWindow

Max Powers wrote: »

Spoke to one of lads down there, apparently they have been waiting on plans from BOrd Failte for about 6 months now. Does any govt dept work efficiently?

The dept of Health!

BlaasForRafa

Sully wrote: »

Christ, this forum was amuck with folk complaining about being ignored by governments and all through the election campaign we were told that the upcoming government TDs would be useless and that we would be continue to be ignored by the government.

Yet, Waterford has now secured a large portion of funding by the government to further improve our city as a tourism resort and all people can do is complain about being given to much?!

I'm sure the City Council wont throw the money at anything unrelated to what the money was given for. They applied for funding, outlining in detail what was needed and the costs. They were given the funding. We should welcome this announcement with big open arms as its great news for Waterford now and into the future.

I'm sure our government TDs (at least) were working hard behind the scenes to give Leo a nudge towards allocating funding and this should be a step towards showing that a FG Minister who isn't elected in Waterford and has no political gains for making this move has done so anyway for the benefit of our great city. Plus, Big Phil as people call him hasn't stepped into block the payment ensuring it didn't go to Kilkenny/Carlow despite popular belief.

No, people are welcoming the funding, we just want detailed costings and not some airy fairy waffle from the government. Big Phil has done such a disastrous job on the household charge that I'd say he's been told to keep his head down and not cause any more controversy. Its our tax money thats being spent, its not just money from nowhere that the government is gifting us, we have a right to know what its being spent on.

I worked for bord failte during the time period when the tourist office in the granary was being planned and installed so its no surprise to me if there's a foul up on their part, inefficient civil service work practices were deeply ingrained in that organisation when I was there, I doubt if much has changed there.

As for the plan itself, the city council plans are impressive, I really hope they go ahead and demolish that modern building at the end of Bailey's New Street where it meets the quay, I think it had an insurance company in it till a few years ago, that should really open up that area and some seats there should keep tourists in the area (as long as the local winos are discouraged from congregating there and as long as its not used by the local skateboarders either)

nkay1985

That is sure to be knocked alright. Thought it would be gone by now. It's such an awful building and is plonked right next to one of our most impressive!

Jason Todd

nkay1985 wrote: »

That is sure to be knocked alright. Thought it would be gone by now. It's such an awful building and is plonked right next to one of our most impressive!

Is that the one that Spraoi uses as an ad-hoc HQ during the weekend of Spraoi, the one between Reginald's Tower and the lane-way that leads up to the back of the Munster?

nkay1985

Jason Todd wrote: »

Is that the one that Spraoi uses as an ad-hoc HQ during the weekend of Spraoi, the one between Reginald's Tower and the lane-way that leads up to the back of the Munster?

The very one.

MOC88

Trotter wrote: »

When I saw the new museum the other day, I just thought to myself.. I hope the same people are in charge of rejuvenating the city centre because they've done themselved proud here.

I hope they focus at some point on the area between Broad Street and the Cathedral. If that was re-energised as an area (Low rates, high incentives..), it would lift the whole city.

Things are turning for the good lads n ladies.. I can feel it in me waters!!

I have to agree it looks a million times better than it used to - 3 years ago and it was an eyesore - its been a great addition to Waterford and something we needed badly - hopefully there is a momentum that will keep going and we can keep improving it

now why did offaly get 700k of money -we could have sone with that :cool:

7upfree

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

While its nice to see money invested into Waterford, it would be nice to see the costings for this and how exactly the money is being allocated. It would be nice for example to see some of the dowdier buildings get a lick of new paint or general work done to improve their exterior.

The metal signs that abound in that area are already quite nice, are they going to be replaced or is new signage to be in addition to whats already there?

It would be even nicer to see some new signs on the approaches to the City. The new IBAL ones are nice, but we need to sell ourselves more.

Guramoogah

BlaasForRafa wrote: »

... I really hope they go ahead and demolish that modern building at the end of Bailey's New Street where it meets the quay ...

nkay1985 wrote: »

That is sure to be knocked alright. Thought it would be gone by now. It's such an awful building and is plonked right next to one of our most impressive!

I'm delighted to see that it has indeed been demolished

tobey

would be nice if they spent something on waterford city/ o' connell street direction instead of the stupid viking triangle which has tourists for three months of the years and dead the rest. Clean o' connell street up from the polish gettho it has become.

beazee

tobey wrote: »

Hold your horses my friend

jennygirl

i head the Viking Long Boat will have its home where the building was knocked beside reg tower - sounds cool....well done City Council